THE HIGH LORD'S FAVORITE
Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing at all. If you recognise something from somewhere else, don't own that either. This is just for fun.
Rating:M
- italic mental communication
italic flash backs
SONEA
"SONEA!" Akkarin screamed as he woke and sat up.
Akkarin found himself in a bed in the Healer Quarters. Lorlen sitting in a chair by his side. Frantically he searched for Sonea, he relaxed slightly when he saw her lying in the bed next to his. Dorrien and Rothen watching over her. Painfully he tried to get out of bed.
"Slowly Akkarin, you've been through alot." Lorlen said, as he tried to keep his friend lying down.
But Akkarin just pushed through, only to fall to the ground. Scrambling to his knees he reached Sonea's side. Taking her hand in his, while with the other, stroking her hair. Tears threatening. Feeling the warmth in her skin, his worst fear dissipated. She was still alive. But something was wrong. She felt wrong. Desperate eyes, filled with questions and held back fears, meet Dorrien's. Dorrien was taken aback by the uncharacteristic emotions on the former High Lord's face.
"She drained all her power to defeat the last Ichani. She should be dead. But somehow she's not." Dorrien finally said, his voice small.
"It is as though she is merely a shell. Devoid of a soul."
Akkarin looked up at the familiar voice of Lady Vinara.
"I don't understand? What are you saying?"
"Sonea is dead in all but body. " She answered him sadly.
"No. She's a fighter, a survivor. You're wrong. She's still in there. She has to be..." Akkarin said.
Akkarin searched Dorrien and Rothen's faces, but they only averted their eyes sadly.
"The Healers believe it may be her body's attempt to protect the child" Rothen said.
"Child?" Akkarin looked up confused.
"Sonea is a few days pregnant."
Akkarin felt a mix of emotion, joy and sadness, as the realisation he would be a father sunk in. How had it happened? He had thought that she had... But how would she know, she had been so unpopular, no one would have thought of taking her aside to teach her.
"Lady Vinara entered Sonea's mind, and found only a void." Lorlen said.
Hope filled Akkarin, the others looked at him questionably.
"Of course she would. Sonea found a way to burry everything deep inside her, so if I tried to read her surface thoughts I would find nothing."
"This is different Akkarin. I searched and pushed at the darkness, and there was nothing." Lady Vinara said.
"I see that nothing we say will convince you. If you must see for yourself. Then do so, old friend." Lorlen said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Closing his eyes Akkarin pushed into her mind. And a wave of relief flooded him as he found himself automatically visualised. This meant there was some part of Sonea who still knew how to keep her defenses up. All he needed to do was find that part. Without Sonea guiding him through the void, Akkarin didn't have the faintest idea where to start or, what to do. He decided to push at the darkness of the void. He pushed and pushed and pushed until it seem to hit something and would go no further. With a final push, the darkness of the void shattered like a mirror. Although he was still surrounded by darkness, emotions and indescribable thoughts were flowing by him from all directions, like currents in an ocean. And, and someone was crying. A child. Following the sound, Akkarin found that the currents of emotions and thoughts were strengthening, growing into a storm. Trying to cut through the storm became harder and harder, as he tried to get to the source of the cry. He suddenly found himself unable to move any further, as though a wall stood between him and the crying child. But with a push of will, he found himself on the otherside, where all was calm. In this quiet part of Sonea, with the storm raging around him, Akkarin found a small girl. Akkarin couldn't explain what he saw, the child he knew was Sonea. But this visualisation was different somehow. The child looked up at him and his heart broke to see such pain and fear in those eyes. He realised then, that this was Sonea's soul and power, having joined together, taking the form of a child Sonea to survive. Akkarin bent down before the child and held out his hand for her to take.
- Let's take you home.
The child hesitated a moment, then took his hand. Akkarin picked her up in his arms and took her from this deep place. As he made his way back to her consciousness, the darkness was pushed away. Memories, emotions, and thoughts retaking their rightful places in her mind. As they reached the void, the child suddenly disappeared from his arms in a great light. When the light faded, Sonea stood before him. But she too seemed different, she glowed of her power.
- Sonea...
- Akkarin... She placed a hand on his cheek.
And a thought passed through him. And he understood. In magicians, their power was their body, it flowed through every limb and bone and vein within them. But all magicians needed to control their power or it would overtake them, she no longer needed. Her power was now her body and soul.
- How? Akkarin asked.
- Does it matter?
Sonea kissed him. No it didn't matter, it didn't matter at all. Akkarin melted into the kiss, and felt a oneness he had never felt with anyone else before, on a level he did not know was even possible.
Akkarin opened his eyes, and looked down at Sonea's face lovingly. Stroking her hair gently. She stirred slightly, and opened her eyes, meeting his eyes she smiled.
"What took you so long?..."
Closing them again she fell into sleep. Akkarin moved from his position on the floor to sit by her side. The magicians looked at him in shock, they could now sense a change in Sonea.
"How did you?" Lady Vinara asked.
"I am not entirely sure, to be honest."
"More importantly, how did she?" Dorrien asked.
"I haven't the faintest idea, but it doesn't matter." Akkarin replied.
tbc...
